An Introduction to Lawrence University

Lawrence University is one of the United States’ only liberal arts college and conservatory of music that are both devoted entirely to undergraduate education. The administration and faculty believe that college should not be a one-size-fits-all experience. At Lawrence, they believe you learn best in an individualized environment.

Lawrence University provides a personalized, meaningful education that gives you the flexibility to develop and combine your own talents and passions at a level few colleges can match.

Liberal Arts College Plus Conservatory Equals Lawrence University

Though Lawrence is a university, you won’t find any graduate students around campus. Instead, Lawrence is a university because it combines a college and a conservatory under one roof. The college houses about 75% of students, while the conservatory houses about 25% of students. This combination leads to an environment of cooperation and collaboration between students.

The Power of Engaged Learning

Like most private colleges, Lawrence offers a small student-to-faculty ratio (8:1) and average class size (15). However, unlike most private colleges, Lawrence teaches an extraordinary number of one-on-one courses - honors projects, tutorials, and studio classes - in which one student works directly with a professor. Of the 2,000 courses taught at Lawrence last year, nearly two-thirds had total enrollments of one.

By the time they graduate, 90 percent of Lawrence students will have taken a one-on-one class.

Academic Diversity

With dozens of academic programs, hundreds of academic courses, and the boundless curiosity of a group of uniquely talented students, Lawrence University provides fertile ground for a garden of academic wildflowers. It is not unusual to find Lawrence students double-majoring in unusual ways: English and math, economics and percussion performance, or physics and studio art.

If you are interested in two or three (or more) majors or minors, you'll find that you're in good company at Lawrence, where the most popular academic interest is "multi-interested" (not "undecided"). Here you will have the options, encouragement, and guidance to explore your multiple interests, even as you discover new ones along the way.

Most Popular Academic Programs at Lawrence University

Lawrence University offers more than 30 majors, the most popular of which tend to be biology, economics, English, and psychology. The conservatory of music offers world-class majors in music performance, music theory and composition, and music education - all popular programs.

A Diverse Experience for a Diverse World

Lawrence's 1,500 students come from nearly every state and more than 50 countries to enjoy the distinctive benefits of this engaged - and engaging - community. It's a close-knit, residential, 24-7 campus filled with smart and interesting people who are comfortable being themselves - and comfortable letting others be themselves, too.

An International Hub

With about 12 percent of its students and 13 percent of its faculty coming from beyond the United States, Lawrence is one of the most internationally-diverse liberal arts colleges in the United States.

The university is based in Appleton, Wisconsin, a city of 72,000, which is the cultural and commercial heart of the Fox Cities (metro pop. 225,000). Appleton's airport, about 10 kilometers from campus, connects through to cities all over the world with direct flights to Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis, Denver, Atlanta, and Cincinnati.

With easy access by car to Milwaukee (90 minutes), Chicago (3 hours), and Minneapolis (5 hours), Appleton is also recognized annually by numerous publications as one of the safest and best places to live in the United States.

Life After Lawrence

You will find Lawrence alumni all over the world working in business, technology, research, government, embassies, not-for-profit and service agencies, and education. Within 6 months of graduating, 73% of students are working, 22% are in graduate school, and 4% are volunteering or serving in the military.

Lawrence enjoys one of the nation's highest alumni (graduate) giving rates (the percentage of alumni who donate financially to their college), which tells us not only that they love their university, but that they are doing well enough financially to support it.

International Student Services

International Student Services (ISS) supports all international students at Lawrence, including academic, personal, and visa-related issues. ISS also manages the Friendship Family program, which connects interested students with local families to share cross-cultural experiences.

International House serves as a hub for student activity, and includes a kitchen where students gather to cook food from home, a television lounge for international programming, and a space available for Muslim prayer.

International student budget: $60,000, includes tuition, room and board, fees, miscellaneous expenses and transportation.

Financial Aid

Many international students receive merit scholarships that vary from $11,000 - $28,000 per year, based on academic or musical achievements, country of origin, and financial need.

International students may also receive need-based aid, such as grants from the institution.

Test Score Requirements

International students whose first language is not English are required to demonstrate English proficiency. Lawrence University accepts the following standardized test scores as proof of English proficiency: TOEFL 80 itb, IELTS 6.5, SAT 580 on Critical Reading, ACT 24 on English/Writing.

Application Fees and Deadlines

Lawrence University has no application fee. Early Decision: October 31; Early Action 1: November 1; Early Action 2: December 1; Regular Decision: January 15.

• Area and ethnic studies
• Asian Studies (East)
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies Related
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Russian Studies
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Slavic Studies
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Biological/life sciences
• Biochemistry
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Biology/Biological Sciences
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Ecology
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Neuroscience
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Computer and information sciences
• Computer Science
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Education
• Art Teacher Education
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Music Teacher Education
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Secondary Education
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• English
• English
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Foreign languages and literature
• Ancient/Classical Greek
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Chinese
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Classics and Classical Languages
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Classics and Classical Languages Related
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• French
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• German
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Japanese
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Latin
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Linguistics
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Russian
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Spanish
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Health professions and related sciences
• Pre-Dentistry Studies
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Pre-Medical Studies
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Pre-Veterinary Studies
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• History
• History
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Interdisciplinary studies
• Cognitive Science
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Mathematics and Computer Science
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Law/legal studies
• Pre-Law Studies
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Mathematics and statistics
• Mathematics
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Natural resources/environmental science
• Environmental Studies
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Philosophy and religious studies
• Philosophy
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Religious Studies
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Physical sciences
• Chemistry
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Geology/Earth Science
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Physics
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Psychology
• Cognitive Psychology and Psycholinguistics
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Psychology
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Social Psychology
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Social sciences
• Anthropology
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Archeology
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Economics
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• International Economics
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• International Relations and Affairs
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Political Science and Government
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Visual and performing arts
• Art History, Criticism and Conservation
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Dramatic/Theater Arts
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Fine/Studio Arts
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Keyboard Instruments
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Music
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Music Pedagogy
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Music Performance
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Music Theory and Composition
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Percussion Instruments
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Stringed Instruments
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Voice and Opera
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.
• Woodwind Instruments
  Bachelor's Degree offered for this major.

• Acceptance Rate
• Applied3,014
• Accepted2,057
• Acceptance Rate68%
• Enrolled1,561
• Female Applicants1,666
• Females Accepted1,222
• Female Acceptance Rate73%
• Male Applicants1,348
• Males Accepted835
• Male Acceptance Rate61%
• Applying
• Required for All Essay or personal statement
  Transcript of high school record
  Letter(s) of recommendation
  
• Required for Some audition for music majors
  
• Average high school GPA for first-year freshman3.64
• Application Deadlines
• Type Application Closing Notification Date Rolling Admissions
• Fall freshmen Not Reported
• Out-of-state Fall freshmen Not Reported
• Early decision plan Not Reported
• Other early decision plan Not Reported
• Transfer Not Reported
• Test Scores Accepted
• Test Average School Accepted 25th Percentile* 75th Percentile*
• SAT Critical Reading
• SAT Math
• SAT Writing
• ACT Composite 26 32
• * 25th and 75th percentile is the score that 25/75 percent of students score at or below.

• Tuition
• In-state tuition *$44,544
• Out-of-state tuition *$44,544
• In-district tuitionN/A
• * Tuition costs are based on a full academic year typically extending from September to June.
• Fees
• Full-time student fees$300
• Room and board *$9,654
• Room only *$4,725
• * Room and board charges vary according to board plan selected (i.e., 12-meal plan, 19-meal plan, etc.) and student level (freshman, sophomore, etc.)
• Other Payment Considerations
• Guaranteed tuition plan offeredNo
• Tuition pre-payment planNo
• Tuition payment plans offeredInstallments
• Student groups that qualify for full or partial waiver of tuitionEmployees or children of employees

• Gender
• Total Undergraduate Students1,561
• Male Student Percentage45%
• Female Student Percentage55%
• Race/Ethnicity
• Hispanic/Latino6.68%
• Black or African American3.34%
• White or Caucasian69.68%
• American Indian or Alaska Native.46%
• Asian5.04%
• Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander.07%
• Two or more races3.67%
• Unknown or International Student.72%
• Other Student Statistics
• International BreakoutNot Reported
• Out-of-state Students71% out-of-state student

• Housing
• College-owned housing available Yes
• Housing Requirements None
• Housing options Coed housing , Female-only housing, Special housing for disabled, Male-only housing, Cooperative housing
• Percentage of undergraduate students who live in college-owned housing 96%
• Student Activities
• Student-run campus newspaper Yes
• Drama / theater group Yes
• Student-run radio station Yes
• Student-run television station No
• Marching band No
• Choral groups Yes
• Student Services
• Legal services No
• Health clinic Yes
• Personal / psychological counseling Yes
• Women's center No
• Student Organizations
• Greek fraternities Yes
• Greek sororities Yes
• Local fraternities No
• Local sororities No
• Other organizations Not Reported
• Most popular organizations Lawrence Swing Dancers, Lawrence International, Outdoor Recreation Club, Sustainable Lawrence University Gardens (SLUG), Greenfire
• Campus Security and Safety
• 24-hour emergency telephone / alarm services Yes
• 24-hour patrols by trained officers Yes
• Students patrols Yes
• Late-night transport / escort services Yes
• Electronically-operated dormitory entrances Yes
• Other evening patrols by trained security personnel

• Men's Sports
• Sport Intramural Intercollegiate Scholarship
• Badminton Yes No No
• Baseball No Division 3 No
• Basketball Yes Division 3 No
• Crew No Division C No
• Cross-country running No Division 3 No
• Fencing Yes Division 3 No
• Football No Division 3 No
• Golf No Division 3 No
• Ice hockey No Division 3 No
• Racquetball Yes No No
• Skiing Yes No No
• Soccer Yes Division 3 No
• Softball Yes No No
• Swimming No Division 3 No
• Table Tennis Yes No No
• Tennis Yes Division 3 No
• Track No Division 3 No
• Ultimate Frisbee No Division C No
• Volleyball Yes Division C No
• Water polo Yes No No
• Women's Sports
• Sport Intramural Intercollegiate Scholarship
• Badminton Yes No No
• Baseball No No No
• Basketball Yes Division 3 No
• Crew No Division C No
• Cross-country running No Division 3 No
• Fencing Yes Division 3 No
• Football No No No
• Golf No No No
• Ice hockey No Division C No
• Racquetball Yes No No
• Skiing Yes No No
• Soccer Yes Division 3 No
• Softball Yes Division 3 No
• Swimming No Division 3 No
• Table Tennis Yes No No
• Tennis Yes Division 3 No
• Track No Division 3 No
• Ultimate Frisbee No Division C No
• Volleyball Yes Division 3 No
• Water polo Yes No No

• Faculty Breakdown
• Total Faculty197
• Full-time Percentage84%
• Part-time Percentage16%
• Female Percentage42%
• Male Percentage58%
• Student:Faculty Ratio9:1 or 1,530 students to 176 faculty